


So Howl Like the Wolf That You Are

by DaniJayNel



Category: Terminator (Movies), Terminator Dark Fate
Genre: Blood, F/F, Fighting, Flirting, Oneshot, Sexual Attraction, Werewolf AU, commander Dani, wolf Grace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:22:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23064664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniJayNel/pseuds/DaniJayNel
Summary: Grace is a shifter on the run, without a pack or her family. Taught from birth to never trust a human, to never let them know the truth of what she was, or they would exterminate her. One day, she finds herself on the run, and she's shot and sent tumbling down a waterfall.Dani takes a small vacation to a cabin in the woods to recover from a mission gone bad, and it's there that she saves a stubborn, infuriating woman from drowning in the water. Despite this woman being a dangerous wolf, she isn't afraid of her.Will Grace trust Dani with her life, or will she let her distrust lead the hunters right to her, this time for the last time?
Relationships: Grace Harper/Dani Ramos
Comments: 34
Kudos: 262





	So Howl Like the Wolf That You Are

**Author's Note:**

> Lol so technically this is actually my very first Gramos fic. This is the first time I wrote with them, but I stopped writing about 8k words in and ended up writing and posting many others stories. But, this is finally done, and I'm very happy with it! I think werewolves are my favourite supernatural creatures to write about tbh. I'd love to write more wolf Grace in the future, and definitely some ABO. Anyway, enjoy!

“ _Grace, you must never leave our borders, do you understand?_ ”

The wound at her hip bled fast, warm streams of blood coating her skin. Whatever they had used to attack her, it was preventing her from healing quickly. Grace hardly cared for pain, but her entire body was thrumming with it, and it was becoming almost unbearable.

_“I understand, papa.”_

She puffed on laboured breaths as she ran. Leaves and branches cut into her skin as she raced through the forest, and her feet barely even touched the ground. She was moving far too quickly, and yet her pursuers were somehow keeping up with her, and she cursed angrily as she cut a sharp turn, bending around a massive tree. She heard the satisfying sound of someone slamming into the tree, but many footsteps still pounded behind her.

_“You must never interact with the humans, Grace.”_

_“Why, papa?”_

She hated having to run like this, on two legs, completely naked. But she needed to be smaller and more difficult to attack. Shifted, she was just too damn big and easy to spot. If she could just lose her attackers, she could shift long enough for her wounds to heal. Blood trickled into her eyes from a head wound, but she clenched her teeth and forced them to stay open. Her pulse was thundering wildly in her veins, and she could feel her body tremble violently with the need to shift.

 _“They will exterminate us, pup. If they find us, they will destroy each and every one of us._ ”

The memory was unwanted. Unfair. It made her body feel cold, even though she was running so hot that her sweat turned to steam and twirled up into the dark night. There were no sounds around her other than her breathing and her running steps.

She had to lose them. She couldn’t let them get her.

Out of nowhere, a body burst forward from her right and a blade slid into her chest, right into her right lung. The pain was fire and death, and it made her grunt. She rolled away and pulled the knife free, hissing when the metal made the skin on her palm burn.

 _Fuck_ , they knew exactly how to hurt her.

Grace saw hateful, determined green eyes racing towards her, but she didn’t stay long enough to see the face properly. She got up despite the pain, and she continued to run.

Run, Grace. Run. For your life. All your life. Like you always have.

She probably looked quite the sight. Impossibly tall, drenched in sweat and blood, and soaring through the forest with nothing but the skin on her bones.

Up ahead, she heard the roar of water and knew she had reached a waterfall. She skidded to a rushed stop just before leaping over the edge, panting on pained breaths. She could taste blood on her tongue. Could feel it with every breath she took. She peered over the edge, and she saw a lot of jagged rocks at the base of the waterfall. If she could time her jump, she could make it clear and escape in the water.

She never had the chance.

Grace turned just as a shout rang behind her, then a gun went off and a bullet grazed her heart. Her eyes widened in shock, and she watched her blood spray into the air, the expression of triumph on the man’s face as he held the gun in his calm, steady hands.

She tipped backwards, hands shooting out for something, anything, but there was nothing but the air at her naked back, and she started her descent. She never even felt the moment of impact. She tried to grab for the water, but her fingers just sliced through the clearness of it, and the cool spray coated her skin, and then blackness. Nothing. Gone.

* * *

Dani sat with her legs submerged in the cool, clean water. The sound of the current trickling by kept her at ease, and she really needed it after the stress of the past month. She really needed this—the break. Thank god Carl was so sweet, and that he owned a cabin right in the middle of nowhere.

“You’ll be fine,” she told herself, attempting to sound confident. “You can do this.”

But the doubt kept creeping in.

She would sit there, and think over her life, and miss her father and brother, and wonder where to go next. Maybe she would figure it out, or maybe Carl’s idea of a retreat wouldn’t really be that. God, she really needed this to help clear her mind.

Dani wiggled her toes in the water, and forced herself to focus on nothing but that. When she glanced up, she caught a flash of white and squinted across the river. For a second she thought it was a bird, but then she realized quickly that it was a person, and her heart shot into her throat.

They were clinging to a log that was jammed between a couple of rocks, but where they were was a strong current. Dani didn’t even think about it, she immediately rushed over.

“Hey!” she called out. “Hey, over here!”

They were barely keeping their head out of the water. As Dani waded in despite the force of the current, that could very easily sweep her tiny self away, the stranger blew out a strangled breath.

“Don’t,” came the broken croak. The voice sounded feminine, and when Dani swam closer, she saw startlingly blue eyes and dark blonde hair.

“Hang on, I’m coming!”

She nearly got swept away, but she grabbed onto the log just in time and wrapped an arm around the person’s shoulders. For a second they nearly sank underneath, but they resurfaced and gasped in a breath. Dani moved closer, felt the softness of breasts press against her, and tried not to look down.

“Swim with me, okay?”

The woman didn’t respond, and gave no indication that she had even heard. Her eyes were nearly shut, and just from what Dani could see, she was pretty banged up. Dani pushed away from the log, but the woman wouldn’t budge.

“Come on,” she urged.

“No,” the woman replied softly. Her fingers were bone white as they gripped onto the wood, then they slackened and Dani watched, panicked, as the woman lost her grip, and evidently her consciousness, and started rapidly floating away.

“Hey, wake up!” She kicked away and reached out, fingers clawing at the water. The current was too strong, and if they didn’t make it out they would hit a dangerous area of jagged rocks. Dani realized she might have just killed herself trying to save this idiot.

“God damnit,” she choked out, spat water and then kicked as hard as she could towards the naked stranger. She finally managed to reach out and grab her hand, and she sucked in a relieved breath when those blue eyes fluttered open and widened.

In one swift, strong movement, the woman grabbed onto a branch close by and pulled them out of the water. She cried out as she did, and flung Dani so far that she rolled twice on solid ground before stopping. Dani shot up immediately, dripping water everywhere, and grabbed the woman’s hands before she could slide back into the water. Thankfully, the woman helped by crawling forward, then she collapsed with her cheek pressed into the mud.

“Are you okay?” Dani asked her, brushing blonde hair from her face. “Hey, don’t go to sleep. Wake up!”

She got no response. Dani checked for a pulse, felt a strong one and collapsed on her backside. She couldn’t believe what had just happened, that this stranger had nearly gotten them killed, then saved them. She had wounds all over her body, and she looked far too pale. Like she was one breath away from death.

“What happened to you?” Dani asked her, and wrung her long hair out. She sighed, knowing she wouldn’t receive an answer. She looked up towards the cabin a bit away, and wondered if she could make it.

She stood, tried to lift the woman and collapsed. She was too damn heavy. What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t just leave her laying there in the mud, wet and naked. Dani didn’t want to have to call for help, either. They were so far out that it would take hours for anyone to get to them.

“Fuck,” she cursed under her breath. She was starting to shiver. “You better not kill me later,” she mumbled down to the woman. “And you better be worth it.”

She made for the cabin, a plan already forming. She just hoped the woman would still be there when she got back.

* * *

Using a wheelbarrow, every ounce of strength in her tiny body, and incredible tenacity, Dani managed to get the woman into the cabin and on the couch. She was much too long for it, and her legs dangled off the edge, but she was at least on something soft. Dani got a towel and attempted to dry her off around the many wounds, all the while trying her best not to stare at her chest or lower. With every inch of skin she dabbed dry, came old scars and new wounds. Some of them looked deep and very, very fresh.

“What happened to you, stranger?” she asked under her breath.

Once she dried the woman’s short hair, she bandaged her wounds, covered her in a blanket and went to shower. She was freezing and smelt like the river. After that she took some time to clean the water on the floor, then occupied herself in the kitchen. She would have sent Carl a message about the stranger, but there was no signal and she didn’t feel like talking to anyone. She just hoped she hadn’t rescued and taken care of a killer.

Dani got lost in making food. All thoughts, all feelings of grief and guilt left her mind as she focused on nothing but the motions of her hands, the sureness and skill. Cooking was always her escape, and it helped that she was hungry.

Without realizing it, she doubled the recipe and ended up making more. She had no clue when the stranger would wake, or what she liked to eat, but she figured it would be rude to have dinner on her own.

Dani finished at the stove and switched it off, but froze on the spot when she heard a haggard breath right behind her and what sounded like a deep, rumbling growl.

* * *

Grace woke, startled, because the scents whirling around her were intense and chaotic, and her stomach was rumbling badly. Among the many smells, there was the food, and that helped her gather the strength to crack her eyes open.

Every wound still hurt. They hadn’t started healing at all. She didn’t even want to look down, to see the holes and the cuts and the bruises. Being what she was, pain and injury weren’t that common, not unless she was found, and hunted.

But first, where the _fuck_ was she?

She sat up, sending the blanket tumbling to the ground, and bit back a groan of pain. Not only did her wounds ache, but so did her body. She remembered the waterfall, getting shot— _fuck_ , right in the heart—and tumbling down. The back of her head was tender, so she must have knocked it. After that, though?

It was very vague.

Grace tilted her head, nose up, to scent the air. She smelt wood, fabric cleaner, sweat, her own blood, the delicious aroma of food, and a human nearby. Her hair immediately stood up and her slow heartbeat picked up. Every warning that had been beat into her from childhood started flashing behind her eyes.

She knew that this human couldn’t be a hunter, because they would have immediately killed her. Hunters didn’t capture, not anymore. So, researcher? Curious civilian? She was so suddenly panicked, that it being a simple saviour didn’t even occur to her.

Grace stumbled onto her feet, then quietly crept through the room towards the human. She could smell that it was a female, and she was freshly showered. She was humming softly to herself, and her heartbeat was calm and steady. Grace was silent until she made it right behind the woman, and she was struck by how _small_ she was.

How on earth had she carried Grace here? She really wasn’t a threat, not unless she had some hunter weapons or friends on the way. Either way, Grace didn’t want to leave herself exposed and simply wait for the end to come.

She inhaled, felt caught by the woman’s scent for a split second, then exhaled loudly and growled. It felt so good growling in aggression, letting her presence be known. The little woman went rigid, her hand extended to discard the wooden spoon she was just using. Tomato sauce dripped from the edge of the spoon, and whatever she had cooked smelt amazing.

“Where am I?” Grace growled first, voice low and threatening.

The woman swallowed. Heart stuttered. Took a shaky breath.

“My boss owns this cabin, and I’m here on vacation. I saved you from drowning in the river.”

Grace bared her teeth even though no one could see. Being saved by a human? Disgraceful. She didn’t need help from them.

“I told you no,” she nearly snarled. “I was fine on my own.”

Small shoulders dropped; heartbeat increased. “You would have died. Actually, you almost killed _me_.”

In a move that surprised Grace, the woman whirled around to face her. She had courage, Grace would give her that, even though this person probably didn’t realize _what_ Grace was.

“You should have let me handle myself.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Is this how you thank the person that literally saved your ass? You were half-dead, and you would have drowned or hit your head right open if you floated down the river.”

Grace bristled and bared her teeth again. The woman went deathly pale, staring at the very sharp edges of her canines. “I didn’t need _you_ to save me.” She clenched her hands into fists, heart racing.

_Run, Grace. Run from them. Despise them. Never believe a word they say._

“Well… I did, and here you are. You’re very welcome to leave, the door is right there.” She pointed with the spoon, sending another droplet of sauce sailing through the air. Grace could smell it, taste it at the back of her tongue, and she listened to the noise as it plopped against the floor. The woman glanced down at the mess and cursed. “Damnit.”

Grace furrowed her brows. “You haven’t run yet.”

“Neither have you.” She turned and deposited the spoon in the sink, then bent to clean the drop of sauce. Grace stepped back and watched her, all of the anger and air blown right out of her. She felt, oddly, guilty. “If you’d like, I made enough for you. You can always leave after some food and a shower.” The look she received was less than friendly, though.

Grace swallowed. She hadn’t eaten in a while, and if she needed to make a hasty retreat, she would need the energy. For the past week she had been doing nothing but running, and she was exhausted. Even just shifting would take all of her energy if she were to try.

“Do you even know what I am?”

The woman released an aggravated sigh. “Yes, a deranged naked woman in my kitchen. Are you going to eat, or not? Because I can go and get some clothes for you, then.”

Grace stared at her, lost for words. She knew she didn’t look human. She had pointed ears, sharp teeth, unnaturally glowing eyes. Was this woman just dumb, or a smooth talker? Grace couldn’t decide which. She did decide, however, that she would most likely be safe if she just stayed long enough to shower and eat.

“Fine,” she agreed. “I would appreciate a shower, and clothes. And some food.”

The woman made no move to leave, instead staring up at her with impatience and expectation. Grace rolled her eyes.

“ _Please._ ”

“There we go,” and then she started for the door. “Oh, and my name is Dani. Remember that, when you tell people about your heroic saviour.” She swept out of the room like a tiny tornado, and Grace just stood there in the middle of the room, feeling very strange and out of place.

She accepted the bundle of clothes Dani nearly tossed against her chest, then followed her to the bathroom. Dani left her there with little care, and Grace stepped under scalding hot water. As steam lifted from her skin, she allowed herself to semi-shift, just enough to kick-start her healing. It was painful to do, which it never had been before, so she gave up only a minute in, panting and out of breath. She slid down onto her backside and let the water hit her face.

Her ears strained, listening for any vehicles or footsteps, but all she heard outside was the chittering of insects and the rustling of leaves. So she finished her shower and dressed in the tight jeans and simple tank-top, and wearily made her way back to the lounge. There Dani sat on the couch, the blanket now folded neatly and set aside. She was quietly eating, and on the coffee table sat a second bowl.

Grace felt so strange. She had been outright aggressive and rude, so why was this lady helping her still? Humans were never this kind. But she wasn’t going to turn this kindness away. The sooner she ate, the quicker she could leave here and return to disappearing far enough away that the hunter guild that was after her would forget she even existed.

“Sit,” Dani told her, not glancing up from the magazine on her lap. “And eat.”

Wordlessly, Grace obeyed. She tried not to bristle too badly at taking orders from a human, so she bit back a retort and just sat down. Dani ignored her while they ate, and even after she took their dishes away to clean them. Grace sat there, fingers digging into the leather of the couch. She was half-thinking of just bolting right then, but Dani’s voice made her head snap up.

“Would you like some hot chocolate?”

Grace frowned at her for a long second. Her nose twitched, and suddenly all she could smell was Dani. The clothes on her, the sweat that clung to her skin, the traces of food on her lips, and finally, just the scent that was _her_.

 _I refuse to go there,_ she growled internally.

“Sure, thank you.”

Dani gave her a surprised look. “What, you actually have manners?” She left before Grace could retort.

With nothing else to do, she just sat back and studied the room around her. There was an odd smell in the air, something that made Grace’s nose twitch. Something about it was familiar, and yet she couldn’t name it. An uncomfortable feeling settled over her, and she knew her instincts to turn tail and run were right, moments later.

As Dani exited the kitchen, two mugs in her hands, Grace’s ears picked up on the sound of thundering footsteps. They were loud, so their owner was large and heavy, and they approached the cabin incredibly fast. Dani heard it just before the person made it to the door, and Grace shot up from the couch.

It all happened so quickly after that.

Grace lunged for Dani, a growl set on her lips, as the door flew open. Dani’s head snapped to the doorway and recognition flashed over her face, alongside alarm and confusion. Grace felt disgust at herself for feeling a tiny bit of hurt and betrayal. She should have never expected anything else from a damn human.

Grace almost managed to grab Dani, with the sole intent of using her as a hostage to get the fuck out of there. But before she could get to her, thick hands grabbed her and she was thrown hard against a wall—rattling nearly the whole damn cabin—and lifted up high, her feet dangling. Adrenalin pumped through her system and she fought the urge to fully shift. It was painful and difficult to do, and she immediately broke out into an intense sweat from her internal temperature almost doubling in an instant. The shift took a hell of a lot.

“Dani, get behind me and don’t move,” the man ordered in a calm, thickly accented voice.

Grace tried to pry his fingers from her throat, but he was just too strong. His scent was somehow muted, but Grace could still pick up on it. She had incredibly sensitive senses. It shocked her, then, to realize what he was.

“You’re an alpha,” she choked out.

His brows furrowed. “Not anymore,” he said. “What are you doing here? What are your intentions?”

A hand pressed to her stomach, and Grace was surprised to see Dani physically squeeze herself between them.

“Carl, let her down! I’m fine.”

Carl looked down at her. “You are in danger. She is a wild one. We don’t know that she won’t hurt you.”

Dani’s fingers curled around the fabric of Grace’s shirt, and Grace felt the scrape of her nails like fiery trails. She was starting to shake badly, her body trying desperately to do what it naturally did in situations like this, but she didn’t have the energy. She could barely keep her eyes open, and sweat slicked down the sides of her face.

“I saved her, relax! If she was dangerous, I’d be dead already, right? She’s just scared and confused. Let her down.”

Grace choked out a breath. “Let… me…” she gasped and shuddered. “Go.”

Carl finally released her, and Grace went down to her knees. Her head spun badly and she ached absolutely everywhere. What was going on? She had never felt like this before.

Shifters, they didn’t feel it like this. They barely felt pain at all, their wounds healed far too quickly to even be registered and exhaustion barely existed. So why, then, did Grace feel like her body was about to melt away?

“If you are sure,” Carl told her. “She is overheating. They must have used wolfsbane on her.” He dropped down by her and lifted her face with a finger under her chin, but she snarled and pulled away. He didn’t seem impressed.

Dani grabbed hold of her shoulders then. “Just let Carl help you, okay?”

Grace wanted to fight it. She wanted to get up and run, but she couldn’t even move. She collapsed, barely even able to breathe. It felt like she had fire in her veins. Carl immediately scooped her up, and she was too far gone to even protest.

“Get all the ice,” he ordered gently. “Bring it to the bathroom.”

He set her down in the tub, and moments later Dani appeared with a bucket of ice. Carl then poured all of it on her, but it wasn’t enough. Grace barely heard the rest of his orders, or Dani moving about to follow them. She only felt a small hand press to her slick forehead, and even that was painful.

She shivered. She gasped. She remembered her family, and she felt acute pain that was more emotional than physical. She didn’t last much longer after that, but she was aware of Dani at her side, always touching her somewhere, as if her comfort was needed. Grace went back into the darkness, even though it terrified her to do so.

* * *

“Carl, I’ll be fine.”

The big man was glaring down at her, a worried frown on his lips. Even though he was double her size and a shifter—a powerful one at that—she felt safe with him. He was, after all, kind and gentle. Even though he was one of the super soldiers from the war, he was sworn to peace now. Even in his wolf form, Dani wasn’t scared of him. His fur was the colour of rust, and his big eyes glowed a strong, warm gold. He was like another father to her, and she knew he would never hurt her. That also meant he was incredibly protective, and that could get annoying.

“Dani, I do not mean to insult you, but I do not think leaving you here alone with a wild shifter is the best idea.”

“I managed to get through to her.”

“Why would you help her on your own? She could have ripped your throat out the second she woke up.”

He was right, Dani knew that. But her first instinct was always to help first, ask questions later. Even though this insufferable pup—because that’s what she acted like—was proving to be a lot of trouble, Dani couldn’t turn her away.

“If we’re going to keep fighting for your rights, then how can I claim to be part of the cause if I scare away from helping one shifter?”

Carl blew out a hot breath through his nose. “I do not like this.”

“Neither do I,” she shot back. “She’s insufferable. But she’s terrified, and it looks like she’s been running her whole life. We need to help her, Carl.”

He unfolded his thick arms and let out a sigh. “Alright, but I will not leave you until she wakes and I can assess her threat level myself.”

She smiled and gave him a tight hug. “Thank you.”

It was probably a good idea, even if she didn’t want to admit it. The shifter had been out for the whole day, and her system would clear of the wolfsbane any minute. When it did, she would heal completely and be able to shift, and with that she might attack.

“I’m going to check on her,” Dani told Carl, and stood from the porch chair. He nodded and she felt his eyes on her as she left.

She wondered what had led this shifter so far south. Many of the remaining packs were hiding elsewhere, because the resistance was in the south and a big target for the hunter organization. Many fled this area, and all those that stayed were part of the movement. Dani was head of the human division, the humans that were against the eradication of shifters. They were desperately trying to get more people onto their side and get the government to finally give shifters their rights as living beings.

But, that was exhausting, and they had just recently lost a whole squadron. Dani was the only one that survived. She felt incredibly guilty, that her orders and leadership had led five people to their death. They were trying to break into one of the government containment facilities, where shifters were dumped before exterminated. They didn’t even bother experimenting on them anymore. But her judgement had been off, and she led them down the wrong corridor and right into a room full of hunters. It was a miracle she managed to get out at all, and her squad begging her to survive had been the only thing that got her to drag herself out of there.

Dani sighed, her chest tight with the pain of her failure, and she pushed the door open to the only bedroom. They had moved Grace from the tub the moment her fever broke, and the tonic Carl had given her had worked through her system. The shifter was still lying on the bed, her exposed skin slick with sweat. She was still clothed, luckily. Dani knew that it wasn’t in a shifter’s nature to feel shame from their nudity, but she was still just human, with eyes and a healthy sexuality. Despite her rotten attitude, the shifter was incredibly attractive.

Dani sat down beside her and pressed a hand against her forehead. Incredibly warm, but normal for her kind. Dani brushed some of her hair off her forehead, but froze when her eyes opened slowly and her nose twitched as she inhaled. Those eyes, they were incredibly blue and so beautiful this up close that Dani’s breath left her lungs.

“Hi,” Dani choked out. “How are you feeling?”

Dani expected her to shoot up and possibly throw her across the room, or bare her teeth and growl again. Instead, she slowly sat up and wiped a hand across her face. She took in a few even breaths, and Dani watched as she closed her eyes and stayed like that.

“What happened?”

Dani’s heart ached. This woman was so strong and powerful given what she was, but sitting there on the bed, she seemed so defeated. “I rescued you, but you were poisoned beforehand. Were you being hunted?” She nodded. “They must have dosed you, then. Luckily Carl had some tonic. When he attacked you, you were trying to shift and doing that causes the wolfsbane to completely break down your cells. If he hadn’t been here, you would not have survived the night.”

A sharp inhale, strong shoulders lifting. They dropped, and blue eyes blinked open again. Dani couldn’t help herself, she set her hand down on the shifter’s shoulder and tried to give her support.

“I know we didn’t start off on the best foot, but I’m trying to help you. What is your name?”

“Why?” She straightened and her brows furrowed. “You’re human. Why would you help someone like me?”

The skin against her palm almost burnt her. “I’m a human that’s fighting for your rights. I don’t believe in hunting your people down. Please, you must believe me.”

Those eyes narrowed and studied her, then flicked away as she exhaled. “Grace,” she said. “My name is Grace.”

Dani’s heart did a curious jump. “Grace. Thank you. Are you hungry? You went through a lot, and you’ll need to recharge.”

Hesitantly, Grace nodded, so Dani stood and offered her hand. “Come on,” Dani told her, “Carl brought a lot of food with him.”

Grace stared at her outstretched hand, a lot of emotions playing on her face. Dani thought she would ignore it, possibly knock it away, but she slowly slipped her palm against Dani’s, then she was helped onto her feet. Grace stumbled slightly, but Dani helped to balance her and she inhaled sharply at their close proximity, Grace’s height compared to hers, and the sudden inexplicable pull she felt. Grace stared down at her, frowning, then she pulled away and started for the door.

* * *

A shifter was a shifter, and sometimes their instincts interfered with logic. Grace hated that her nose kept twitching from Dani’s scent, and that it kept making her temperature rise and her skin itch. She knew what this meant, and it embarrassed her.

Female shifters were able to impregnate other shifters, or humans that could carry. Her hormones were suddenly raging, and even though she most definitely was not planning on getting Dani pregnant—ever—her body didn’t understand that. All her body knew was that she smelt someone compatible, and wanted to _do it_.

The annoying thing was, Grace could smell that Dani was being affected by her too. She could detect traces of arousal in the air around her, and it made her nose burn. She would never let herself get romantically or sexually involved with a human. Ever.

True to her word, Carl really had brought a lot of food. The kitchen counter was stacked with packs and packs of meat, and Grace’s mouth immediately filled with saliva. Dani’s dish earlier had been great, but way too little, and she needed raw meat.

“You can shift to eat,” Dani told her, pausing by the counter and looking at the packages. “It’ll probably be easier to digest.”

Grace stared at her. “You really aren’t afraid of me?”

Dani gave her a little grin and a look of challenge, and something primal in Grace lifted its head. A flush covered her skin, and she realized she had never felt like this before. Was it going into mating season already? No. It was probably just because Dani was the closest female and she had just gone through something traumatic.

“Carl is ten times scarier than you, I promise. So No, I’m not afraid of you. I’ve faced hunters that were scarier. Shifters that were scarier.”

Grace frowned. “How do you know I won’t just attack you the second I shift?”

Dani crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. “I don’t, but I’m going to trust you anyway. Like I said, I just want to help you. You’ve been running for a long time. You have nowhere to go. And if you keep running blindly like you have been, you’ll be slaughtered.” She uncrossed her arms, and her eyes shone with the seriousness of her words. “If you stay with me, I can protect you.”

Grace snorted. She stepped forward, bare feet slapping loudly on the wood, and reached for a pack of steaks. She ripped the plastic open and grabbed a thick slice. It dribbled blood as she lifted it to her lips, and keeping her eyes locked on Dani’s, she opened her mouth wide, her teeth sharp and out, and took a huge bite. Dani lifted a brow.

Grace devoured the slab of meat, then licked the blood from her fingers. “You can protect me?” she said, reaching for another piece. “I think you’re the one that needs protecting.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “So everyone thinks. I’m not so helpless. Look, try and grab me right now. Try and hold me down. See if you can.”

Grace let another piece of steak go and straightened. Her hairs stood up, her blood racing from the blood on her tongue and the excitement of a hunt. Shifters never hunted humans, and in modern times, rarely wild animals anymore. But they still had the desire to, and that sensation was thrumming through her veins. Grace also did not like being treated like a lap dog.

She decided to take Dani’s challenge, and she dove forward too fast for a human to follow. In under a second she was in front of Dani, and she reached out to grab her throat with the intent of pushing her up against the wall and then smirking in her little face. To Grace’s astonishment, two fingers jabbed into her throat at a precise point, and her legs buckled from beneath her. She went nearly completely numb. Dani was on top of her immediately, folding an arm around her throat and squeezing hard. She didn’t even have the power to move her arms to defend herself, and she could only choke on a surprised breath.

She didn’t even see the move coming.

“You see?” Dani’s grip slackened and then disappeared. “You underestimate me because I am smaller than you and weaker than you. You leave yourself completely open, and you don’t realize that I have a lot of experience fighting shifters in every state of transformation.”

Grace bared her teeth and growled in frustration. She shifted in a bellow of steam, regaining feeling in her body in an instant. She pounced on Dani then, sent her falling to her back and then crouched on top of her, baring her sharp teeth and growling. Dani’s eyes widened and her heartbeat fluttered wildly, but Grace didn’t smell fear on her. Just… excitement.

Confused, Grace shifted back. She had unfortunately ripped the clothes she had been wearing, so she was then completely naked on top of her. Which didn’t help the situation. At all. A clear flush covered Dani’s face.

“You got distracted while bragging,” Grace told her.

Dani laughed at her and covered her face with her hands. “I’ll give you that. But if we had been fighting for real, I would have hit slighter to the left and knocked you out completely. Then blocked your points of energy that allow for you to shift, and you’d be at my mercy.”

Grace felt something very peculiar. She actually liked this human. She tilted her head, both at herself for the revelation and for the look of calm on Dani’s face.

“You’re very confident.”

Dani grinned. “You haven’t seen me fight yet.”

True. Grace took in a breath and was consumed by the scents of Dani and food around her. Her stomach grumbled loudly and her lower belly felt tight with heat. If she wasn’t careful, she’d do something stupid.

“Might I remind you it is not mating season yet,” Carl spoke up behind them. “And that Dani is a very small human.”

Grace glanced over her shoulder and growled at him, which shocked her, so she quickly scrambled away and glared. “I have no such intentions.”

Carl’s nose crinkled in disgust. “It smells like a mating den in here. Dani, why are you provoking her?” He went to help her up and Grace refused to meet Dani’s eyes. All Dani did was laugh so loud that she snorted, then laughed at herself for snorting. Carl smiled at her, clearly amused, and Grace just felt ridiculous.

“What can I say?” Dani told him, wiping tears from her eyes. “Not every day you get to tame a wild wolf.”

Grace’s ears burned.

“Eat, young wolf,” Carl told her. His expression had grown softer and he seemed less tense, but Grace wasn’t sure if she liked the fact that he was relaxing around her. Dani seemed completely unconcerned.

Grace didn’t know what to do, so she just went to finish eating. She peeled all the plastic off and then shifted to guzzle the meat down, and when she was done she thoroughly licked her paws and muzzle, then sat down on her backside and let her ears fall back. She could already feel her strength returning to her, and it was a huge relief.

_Never be weak, Grace. Never let your guard down, do you understand me?_

_Yes papa_.

She cracked her eyes open, and Dani was staring at her. Her stare was curious, but she didn’t say anything, and then she cleared away the plastic and wiped the counter down.

“It’s late,” Dani said, and Grace’s ears twitched. “I’m going to sleep. Will you be fine?”

Grace shifted down into her half form so that she could talk. “I’ll sleep shifted, so the floor is fine.”

Dani nodded. “There’s only one bed, and you’re too tall for the couch. But if you want to use it, just wake me up. And look, I really am trying to help you.” She tossed the cloth into the sink and then washed her hands, and when she was done, she turned to gaze up at Grace. In her half form, her ears brushed the ceiling and she had to hunch slightly so as not to bump her head. She knew she looked scary to humans, but Dani just looked at her casually. It was… strange.

“Thanks.”

Dani beamed at her. “Nice to see you’re trying to be more pleasant.”

Grace frowned, but the expression wasn’t as evident in this form. Dani passed by her, brushed a hand over her wrist and then went to say goodnight to Carl. Grace listened to them chat, saw them hug and then Carl glanced over at her briefly before shifting and leaving them. Grace took that as his approval, and she felt very uncomfortable by it.

Dani locked up and went to bed, so Grace fully shifted and then curled up on the floor. She listened keenly as Dani tossed and turned in bed, until she finally fell asleep. Grace only hesitated for a second, then she turned human, snuck out and bolted for the woods. She shifted mid-leap, and landed hard on all fours.

She would not let some damn human look after her. She had been fending for herself for years, and so she would continue for many more. She just needed to figure out what to do now that her last cover was blown.

Part of her wondered what Dani would think, once she woke up to find herself alone. The other part of her didn’t care. Grace felt rejuvenated and free, but she resisted the urge to howl into the air. She hadn’t howled in so long, she wondered if she even knew how anymore. So, she just ran. Misted breaths blasted from her nose in short bursts, and her heart thundered hard in her chest. She could hear her claws slicing into the soft ground, and it was music to her ears.

But somehow, she never even saw him. One moment she was running joyously through the trees, then she was on her side, dazed and bleeding.

“Found you,” the hunter puffed out. The sword at his side dripped with her blood. “You slipped away for a while, but your kind can never resist running through the night.”

Grace kicked at the ground to get away from him, fear and anger boiling in her gut. She bared her teeth and growled.

“That’s right,” he cooed at her, like she was a baby. “Show me what you really are.”

She half shifted and then went for him, giant fists smashing through trees and boulders. He was smaller than her when she was shifted, so he easily dodged her swings. He was incredibly fast and nimble, and she kept losing him in the trees. Every time he burst forth, he sliced across her skin.

The fight was long and brutal, and Grace was terrified to realize that she was losing. She shifted down completely and collapsed to one knee, gasping out choking breaths. He dropped down ahead of her, his shirt ripped and blood trickling from his fingertips, but a grin stretched on his face. He seemed tired, but he was enjoying this.

Grace had just condemned herself to a worthless death. She should have waited until morning, let Dani help her get somewhere else. Grace was furious with herself that in this last moment, Dani would be her last thought.

“What do you want with me?” she gasped out, shoulders heaving. She felt different this time. She knew that she had been poisoned again, but it wasn’t the same.

“Simple,” the man told her. He sheathed his sword and tore his shirt off. He was horribly scarred and fresh wounds littered his brown skin, but they didn’t seem to bother him even as they oozed blood. He smelt odd, and the scents coming off of him made Grace’s stomach lurch. “For you to die a slow, horrible death.”

She pressed a hand to her bleeding side and bared her teeth. “Just try,” she snarled.

He laughed. “Exactly my plan!”

Time seemed to slow. Whatever was in her system, it was making her feel very woozy. Her focus turned almost foggy, and her balance was failing her. The heat was emanating off of her so strongly that her sweat steamed immediately, and she wasn’t sure if she would even be able to shift. If she could, she was too out of it to make an escape. Having a larger body would throw her off, and she would probably just knock into something and end up on the ground.

So, she kneeled there in the dead leaves and watched as the hunter ran for her. He was going to kill her with his bare hands, disrespect her so that she wasn’t even allowed to die in a dignified way. He was mocking her like this, and it was infuriating. But her arrogance, her over-confidence was the cause of this, and she had no choice then but to accept her fate.

_Fuck fate._

Just as he entered her field of range, she lashed out with every ounce of her strength. She grabbed him before he could grab her and let loose an ear-shattering roar as she stood and lifted him. She ran forward and smashed him into the nearest tree, then howled up into the air—all of her anger and pain. The man wheezed and blood spilled from his mouth, but it wasn’t enough. Of course it wasn’t.

The last of her strength disappeared, and she fell down onto her back. She could hardly breathe. He jumped onto her immediately and wrapped his strong fingers around her throat, and then he started to squeeze down. She tried to scratch at him, knock him off, but she was too weak and that was infuriating.

Never had she ever felt so much like a pup.

“Get off of her, you murderer!”

The hunter glanced up in surprise, then went soaring through the air as a sledgehammer smacked into his skull. He slammed into a tree and crumbled into an unconscious heap, and then soft hands cupped Grace’s face and all she could see was Dani.

“You idiot,” Dani nearly shouted, patting her hair back and checking for her injuries. “You really wanted to die that quick, huh?”

Grace coughed up blood and inhaled painfully. She couldn’t help but laugh, but that only seemed to make Dani angrier.

“What the hell are you laughing for?” Dani hissed at her. “Look at you! All the work Carl and I did, for nothing. We need to leave right now, before his backup arrives if he has any.”

Grace curled her fingers around Dani’s collar, making her pause from getting up. Her body was weakening fast, and she felt like if she closed her eyes just once she would never open them again. So she focused on Dani’s gaze.

“You saved me,” Grace choked out.

Dani brushed her hair back again, frowning. “Of course I saved you.”

“Again.”

“You seem to get into a lot of trouble.”

Grace chuckled, then coughed violently and tried to stand. Dani helped her as much as she could, but Grace was just so damn heavy that she struggled. Grace tried her best, and she managed to get onto her feet with some of her weight supported. Grace was surprised to feel hardened shoulders under her arm, and she could see the way Dani’s muscles strained against her shirt. She wasn’t as weak as she looked, not at all.

Cursing and whole way, Dani helped her back. They took a different route and crossed over a stream to cover their tracks, then finally made it back to the cabin. Grace was barely conscious when she was tossed ungracefully onto the bed, then Dani was pressing a cup to her lips and a bitter tasting liquid slid down her throat.

“Thank Carl for leaving more tonic,” Dani told her. “Now recover from this and stay in the damn cabin. We’ll have to leave in the morning. I’ll stay on watch. If you try to sneak out again, I will beat your ass myself.”

Grace coughed on a laugh. Dani shook her head and started to leave, but Grace reached out and grabbed her hand. She couldn’t stop it, the feelings of vulnerability and shame. A single tear leaked out the corner of her eye, and Dani saw it.

“Thank you, Dani,” Grace managed weakly. “You… I… Just, thank you.”

Dani’s annoyed expression melted away. She sat down beside her and took her hand. Their fingers were so different, Grace’s so much longer. But when they intertwined, they fit together. Grace stared at their hands and wondered why they looked like they were made like fitting puzzle pieces.

“I told you,” Dani said. “I’m here to help you. I committed when I jumped into the current for you. I’ll keep committing until I know you’re safe. Now, rest, okay?”

Grace felt like a little kid again. It had been so long since someone had said something like that to her, and so long since she felt safe enough to believe the words. She sniffled loudly and nodded her head, and the pain was starting to seep in. She was still too hot, so hot that it hurt, and she knew her skin must be burning Dani’s, but her grip was strong and unwavering.

“You won’t leave?” she asked hesitantly in a wheeze.

Dani frowned. “I promise, I’m staying right by your side. I’ll check up on you, okay? Just go to sleep. You need to rest to get your system cleared. It shouldn’t take too long, he used the weaker wolfsbane.”

Grace nodded, then let her eyes flutter closed. Dani’s hand stayed closely pressed to her own, and just before she fell asleep, she felt fingertips caress the line of her jaw. It felt nice, and her chest felt heavy, and she just wanted the pain to go away.

* * *

Grace woke feeling refreshed. Her strength had returned, and there was a strange new spring to her muscles as she sat up on the bed and glanced around the room. She could smell Dani’s scent, and by the strength of it she knew it was recent. There was a pile of clothing on the bed, neatly folded beneath clean military boots. Grace quickly pulled the clothes on, then she followed her nose and found Dani in the kitchen, putting dishes away.

“Ah, you’re up,” Dani greeted, glancing over her shoulder. When she smiled, something in Grace’s chest shifted.

She didn’t look at Dani and see a lowly human. She didn’t feel disgusted by being so close to her. Actually, her chest filled with warmth and she knew that her attraction to this little human wouldn’t go away. Dani saving her, again, had drastically changed her feelings.

While her opinion on humanity as a whole hadn’t change, her opinion of Dani certainly had.

“Morning,” Grace greeted. She shifted her feet and clenched her hands into fists.

Dani closed the last cupboard and then turned to look at her. “So, I’ve already packed my truck. It’s a bit of a walk from here. We need to leave the area as soon as possible. I have a safehouse that we use for shifters that are being hunted. The squadron hunting you are likely still in the area, and I don’t know if I can fight off a whole group of them. If they hit you with wolfsbane again, you’ll be just as useless.”

Grace frowned. “I… sure, yeah.”

Dani nodded, then she gathered a few bags in the lounge and waited for Grace to join her. Grace stared at the three bags on her shoulders and the two in her hands, and she sighed.

“Give those to me.”

Dani looked up at her, frowning. “What?”

Without waiting for her to understand, Grace grabbed the bags from her and slipped them through her arms. They were pretty heavy, but she barely felt them.

“You don’t need to do that,” Dani told her, frowning.

Grace shrugged. “I don’t care. I’m the stronger one here.”

Dani visibly bristled, and Grace resisted the urge to smirk. Instead she just stared into Dani’s eyes, and she relaxed when Dani sighed and shook her head.

“Wolves and their chivalry,” she muttered, walking away.

Grace wordlessly followed. They started along a path through the trees, and after thirty minutes they made it to a truck caked in mud. Upon closer inspection, Grace realized the body of the car was littered with bullet holes and shifter claw marks. When Dani noticed her stare, she chuckled.

“Can’t afford a new truck every time we have a showdown,” she explained. “So we cake it in mud to disguise it.”

Grace deposited the bags in the boot. “And it works?”

“Most of the time.”

“And when it doesn’t?”

Quick as lightning, Dani pulled a gun from her back and cocked it. Grace straightened in instinct, but then Dani returned it, laughing. “I can be persuasive.”

Grace found herself grinning. “You’re a fascinating little human.”

They climbed in and Dani slid her keys into the ignition just as Grace heard the crunch of tires on gravel. She went rigid and her eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror, and sure enough a black van stopped a distance from them.

“Dani, we have company.”

Dani was already staring at the mirror, her face a mask of focus. “We have no time.” She pulled her keys out and, in one swift motion reached over to pull the lever under Grace’s chair and pushed it back as far as it would go. Grace nearly choked when Dani climbed onto her lap and started undoing her pants button and zipper.

“Dani?” she choked out.

“I’m so sorry, but we need to make it look like we’re here on intimate business.”

She finished with Grace’s zipper and then pulled hers down. She then tousled her hair and flicked her eyes out the window again. Grace didn’t need to look to know that someone was cautiously approaching, and that they only had seconds.

Grace’s heart was beating hard. She could hear Dani’s thundering pulse as well, and it was suddenly incredibly loud.

“Just relax, okay? Put your hands under my shirt.”

Grace’s face went warm. “What?”

Cursing, Dani grabbed both of her hands and forced them underneath her shirt and over her breasts. Grace’s brain immediately stopped working as her fingers instinctively closed around the softness of Dani’s breasts, and hard nipples pressed into her palms.

She wanted to say something, knew not what, but her words were stolen when Dani suddenly surged forward and captured her lips. Dani’s hands slid to cup her head, her palms covering the pointed edges of her ears.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Dani mumbled against her lips.

Grace made a noise in her throat. Even though she knew they were only doing this because of the hunter approaching, her body still went into full mating mode. She could feel her temperature skyrocket and she knew that her eyes would be glowing incredibly brightly, like two LED lights, which is why Dani told her to keep them shut. Her canines were out long and sharp in her mouth, nearly cutting into her lower gums. A growl was working its way up her throat, but she did everything to repress it as Dani’s lips brushed against her own, as her warm skin burned beneath Grace’s touch, and the hunter finally paused beside their window. A throat cleared.

Dani pulled away, gasping in shock with perfect believability. “Hi, can I help you?”

The hunter’s energy smelt nervous and embarrassed. “My apologies for interrupting. We’re searching for a missing person in these woods. Did you happen to see anything recently?”

Dani moved her body in a way that blocked Grace from the hunter’s view, even though Grace’s hands were still glued to her breasts. “No, sorry, officer. We came down here for our honeymoon.” She laughed nervously, and even Grace was fooled by the sound. “Sad we have to leave so soon, but maybe it’s for the best. Is this person okay?”

Grace listened to them swallow, then click the safety on their weapon and slip it back into its holder. “They will be fine as soon as we find them. If you notice anything, please give us a call. Be careful on your way out.” A short pause. “You might want to hurry up and leave soon.”

Dani cheerfully said goodbye, then she went still and they waited as the person walked back to their vehicle. Grace listened to the car start up and drive away, and then Dani immediately moved off of her. Grace’s stomach dropped from the loss of contact, and she very nearly reached out just to touch Dani again. She opened her eyes, and she knew she probably looked as frazzled as she felt.

Dani exhaled, neatened her hair and then buttoned herself up. “So that just happened,” she said, then she started the car.

Grace swallowed. Her mouth was incredibly dry. She didn’t know what to say, so she just said nothing and stared out the window after fixing her clothes. As much as she tried not to, her mind kept jumping back to the feel of Dani in her hands, against her lips. The taste of her kiss. By the time they made it into the first town, Grace was dehydrated from sweating so much, and Dani noticed.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Grace couldn’t to look at her. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“Are you sure? Look, Grace… I’m very sorry that I did that to you. Maybe I went a bit overboard, making you put your hands under my shirt and everything.”

Grace shook her head. “No, it was quick thinking. It made it believable.” She stared down at her hands, where she could still feel the points of hard nipples. “You… aren’t wearing a bra.”

Dani loudly cleared her throat, and Grace could smell the embarrassment from her. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t hate it.”

 _Maybe don’t say that,_ Grace thought, panic filling her mind.

All Dani did was laugh, then she pulled into the nearest petrol station and hopped out to buy some snacks for them. She returned with a few bottles of water and a huge bag of snacks, and Grace eagerly tore into a pack of pretzels the moment they were presented to her. She downed three bottles of water in one go, then sighed in relief. Dani was watching her.

“I can never get over how shifters can eat and drink so much at a time.”

There was a touch of awe in her voice, and part of Grace felt a little… smug.

“The shift takes a lot of energy. If you had to shift right now it would instantly kill you, because you don’t have the muscle or the stamina.”

Dani seemed intrigued. “Really? I never knew that.”

“Didn’t your alpha explain all of this?”

“My what?”

Grace reached for another bottle of water. “Carl.”

“Oh. No, he can be very vague, and I never felt comfortable asking. Why do you call him an alpha?”

Grace took a sip. “Back during the war, a lot of wolves became alphas to fight. It’s sort of like, an upgrade, sort of.”

“What do you mean?”

She sighed. Usually, she never would have explained this to a human. It was one of their secrets, one that the hunters knew about but couldn’t replicate.

“There is a special flower, kind of like wolfsbane, that grows on only one mountain in the north. It can drastically mutate our cells. Those chosen to be alphas, they go through intense training while consuming this flower. If they survive, their abilities are strengthened.” Grace swallowed and stared at the clear liquid gently swishing about in the bottle. “It’s painful. Extremely painful. But it was needed during the war.”

A hand covered hers, and she looked up into Dani’s eyes. “Did you go through it?”

Grace’s eyes widened in surprise. How did…? “Alphas are only selected once they’ve turned 16,” she started, “I was started when I was 6.”

Dani looked shocked. “What? You were just a baby!”

Grace grew uncomfortable and pulled her hand away from Dani’s touch. “I never completed the training, so I’m not fully an alpha. I can’t even really tap into the enhancements because I probably started too young. My father wanted me strong, so that I could survive.”

She could sense that Dani wanted to ask where her family was, but thankfully she didn’t. Instead she started the car and they drove on, and Grace’s mind went back to that night, so many years ago, when she had murdered her whole family by her own hand.

She had just been a kid. A stupid, naïve child. That naivety had cost her everything. She glanced over at Dani, and she knew her feelings would be dangerous. She owed Dani her life, but she would never have her.

* * *

Carl had only vaguely explained the whole alpha process to her once, when he had collapsed after going into alpha mode and destroying three whole squadrons of hunters on his own. She remembered the pain and exhaustion in his eyes, and she couldn’t imagine what that must have been like for a child if a big, strong person like him suffered so much after so many years.

She really wanted to ask Grace for more, but she recognized the look of grief and pain in her blue eyes, and she knew she needed to shut her mouth and focus on getting them to the safe house.

For most of the ride, they were safe. Then, they were being followed. Dani noticed it first, and she kept a sharp eye on the unmarked van behind them. It followed at a constant distance, and it was clearly tailing them. Dani’s heart started to beat faster, but she breathed evenly and forced herself to remain calm. Grace must have sensed her sudden anxiety, because she twisted in her seat to look behind them, and she cursed loudly.

“How did they find us?”

Dani switched between watching the road and watching the van. “I don’t know. We’re on the highway now, so I can’t lose them.”

“What do we do?”

The van suddenly started gaining speed, and Dani had no doubt that they were going to attack. She spotted someone climbing onto the roof, and she recognized the hunter sword. “Fuck,” she spat, then she pressed down fully on the gas. There was no way they would outrun them, though.

“We fight,” she said. “Here.” She reached behind her seat and pulled out a gun. “You can shoot, right?”

Grace stared at the weapon in her hands, then closed her eyes and sighed. “Of course I can shoot.”

Dani pulled her own weapon out and readied it, then checked behind them. The van was gone. She sucked in a breath to ask a question, but then a gunshot exploded the window to her right and she could feel the heat of the bullet nearly grazing her nose. She cursed and swerved the car, slamming right into the van now beside them. Grace climbed out of the window and started to shoot, and Dani just tried to focus on not flipping the car.

“Can you go faster?” Grace yelled.

Dani slammed into the van again. “No! We need to stop their van. Aim for their wheels.”

Grace immediately did so, and the van slowed and rushed behind them. They then surged forward and Dani’s truck bounced from the force of their hit. She cursed in Spanish and blindly shot out of her window, satisfied when she shattered their front windshield.

“Nice shot,” Grace yelled. She ran out of bullets and pulled back into the car. “Do we have more ammo?”

Dani’s jaw clenched. “Nope.”

“Shit.”

Before Dani could even try to figure out what they could do next, the van clipped them hard at the back and the truck lurched. For a second Dani didn’t think they would flip, but then she felt gravity pulling her hard and she didn’t even have time to react. It happened so quickly, but Dani felt a warm body press to hers, and when the truck finally rolled to a stop—thankfully on its wheels—Grace pulled off of her, panting and bleeding.

“Grace!”

Somehow, Grace had been quick enough to hold onto her and prevent her from getting hurt. Dani’s neck ached, but she would live. They both rushed out of the car as bullets fired at them, and Dani pressed her hand to a wound on Grace’s face.

“Are you okay?” Grace asked her.

Dani scoffed. “Me? You took the brunt of that!”

“Yeah, to save you. Are you hurt?”

Dani wanted to argue. Instead she just huffed. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

A bullet bounced off the ground at their feet, making them both flinch. “We’ll need to fight them head-on.”

Dani still had a few rounds left in her handgun. She waited for the shower of bullets to end, then stood and squeezed a few shots off. She ducked down when there was return fire. She cursed and tossed her gun angrily.

“Out of fucking bullets.”

Grace was breathing hard, but her wound seemed to have healed. Her eyes started to glow incredibly bright, and Dani found herself freezing at the sight of them.

“What are you doing?”

Grace was almost not even looking at her, but through her. “Trying,” she ground out.

Dani watched, fascinated, as Grace’s muscles started to bulge and her teeth and claws grew out. It looked like she was in pain, and when she lurched forward she had sweat pouring down her body. Before Dani could ask if she was okay, Grace suddenly vaulted over the car. Dani stood and watched as Grace’s claws sliced one hunter’s throat, and then impaled the second.

Not one to be out done, Dani jumped into action. One hunter dodged Grace’s furious lunges and made for Dani, but she was ready for him. He underestimated her, and it was easy for her to jab his pressure points and send him down to his knees, where she easily wrapped an arm around his neck and then snapped it.

She had no sympathy for hunters. They didn’t do this job just to provide for their families. The hunter organization paraded around like normal law enforcement, but they had no laws to follow and were allowed to be as cruel as they wanted. A lot of sadistic, sick people became hunters, because it allowed them to kill, enjoy it and not go to jail for it.

The fight was over quickly. Grace stood close by, panting harshly, her fingers dripping blood. She seemed to have returned to normal, and when Dani approached her she looked tired.

“You okay?” Dani asked her.

“Blood isn’t mine.”

She gently felt Grace’s arm, and she was incredibly hot. “You need to cool down.”

Grace tipped her head back. Her teeth still looked incredibly sharp and she had spatters of blood on her face, and yet as her throat moved as she swallowed, Dani couldn’t help but think how utterly delicious she looked. Grace’s head tipped forward, and those bright blue eyes regarded her curiously.

“Am I turning you on?”

Dani’s whole face filled with heat. “It’s not fair that you can sense these things.”

Grace had the audacity to laugh. “Dani, I’m covered in blood. I just killed three people, and you smell like you just went into heat.”

Dani pretended to be offended. “Firstly, these aren’t _people_. They’re sadistic killers, and getting rid of them has made this world a better place.” Grace seemed surprised by the venom in her words. “And second, I’m a healthy young woman and I do happen to find strong women very attractive.” She shrugged, then walked over to the truck. Wordlessly, Grace followed her.

It was horrendously banged up, but it still worked. Grace’s door wouldn’t close properly, so she growled and bent it with her bare hands, and Dani pointedly did not think about how hot that was. They continued on their journey, dirty, exhausted and very weary. When they made it to Dani’s safe house, they were met with armed resistance fighters. They immediately lowered their weapons when they caught sight of Dani’s face.

“Commander,” they greeted, standing at attention. “Are you hurt?”

Dani stepped out of the truck and waved them off. “Not more than usual. We’re fine.”

Grace rounded the car and joined her, and she seemed in awe of the place. It was a massive bunker, well hidden from society, and in it a huge population of shifters lived. Young pups ran around chasing each other, soldiers ran laps and people just milled about. Dani got the sense that Grace had never seen so many of her kind in one place, and it made her heart ache.

“Welcome to our safe house, as we call it,” Dani told her, smiling gently. “Or, as your people call it, New Hope.”

Grace visibly swallowed. “There are… so many.”

“Come on, I’ll show you around. You can shower and clean up, and we can get some food. Do you know what you plan on doing from here?”

To Dani’s surprise, Grace drifted close to her, carefully studying the human resistance soldiers as they passed by. She seemed almost suspicious of their easy walks and calm faces, like she couldn’t believe that they didn’t care what she was. Not caring how it looked, Dani slid her hand against Grace’s and intertwined their fingers. Grace looked at her, blue eyes wide.

“You’re safe here, Grace,” Dani told her gently. “I really can protect you, if you’d let me.” She rubbed her thumb over Grace’s wrist. “Or more, if you’d like.”

Grace swallowed. “More?”

Dani grinned. “What, think you can’t handle a little human?”

Grace’s face flushed darkly, and Dani thought she looked really dashing, blushing so brightly. “Are you flirting with me?”

“What, scared?”

Grace bristled. “Am not scared.”

Dani wanted to laugh. Sure, she was the commander, but she didn’t care what people thought as they walked by and saw the way she was looking at this new shifter, full of blood and sweat and dust, her blonde hair dirty and tousled, but her blue eyes alight.

“Then let’s go and find a shower,” Dani suggested. She felt Grace’s fingers twitch against her own. “And then figure out what to do after that.”

She started walking, glad when Grace followed. Their hands remained linked, and Dani felt Grace’s eyes on her the whole time, and she could hardly believe so much had happened in just two days.

Despite her attitude, Dani decided that Grace had been worth it. When Dani snuck a glance behind her, and she caught Grace’s heated stare, she thought maybe… maybe she would be worth even more.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always welcome. Come and chat on my tumblr danijaynel if you have some gramos feelings to share


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